


Working Too Hard

by Redamber79



Series: Pathfinder & Engineer [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Childbirth, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Massage, Misuse of Biotics, Oral Sex, Pain, Post-Game(s), Realistic labour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-05-23 13:16:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14934983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redamber79/pseuds/Redamber79
Summary: Scott has died twice, had an AI inserted into his brain, stolen, returned, and linked with Remnant without SAM's aid. Needless to say, a crushing headache sparks some concern. Gil keeps telling him, he's not alone, and he's working too hard.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written on my phone as always, beta'd by the lovely @jeannedarcprice, who always helps with wonderfully smutty sketches as inspiration when I send her snippets. Thanks hon!

Scott sat at his father's desk, trying to make sense of the reports he'd received regarding Habitat 7. Wait, it was called Ryder-I now. Scott grimaced, fighting a pounding headache, still unable to wrap his mind around a planet with his father’s name. Or rather his name, he supposed, and now it was his desk. Sure, the planet had been named for him, for Pathfinder Ryder’s success in settling, _saving_ Heleus, but he was Scott. Even now, after nearly a year and as half in Heleus, he still had trouble thinking of himself as Pathfinder Ryder, uncertain he deserved the accolades. He put on a confident, almost cocky air in public, when he dealt with Addison and Tann; those two were like sharks, any weakness and they started circling. Kesh was much better, she was just doing what needed to be done to keep them all alive. Kandros was the same. But it should have been his father handling all of them, not him.

Scott stretched his arms over his head, his spine popping and his shoulders protesting. Sitting hunched at a desk was killing him. He moved through a variety of stretches, groaning as tense muscles resisted. He stood and twisted and bent, wincing at the stab of pain through his lower back, as well as the worsening throb in his skull. He froze, then straightened carefully, rubbing at his back with his palm, muttering curses as his shoulder protested the movement. He dropped back into the chair gracelessly, hissing as he jarred his body. He slumped in the chair, rubbing at his eyes and neck, then leaned forward to focus past the headache.

Twenty minutes later, he’d read the same email three times, and was no closer to grasping the details. The pain radiated up his neck, clamping around his skull like a vise, pounding in time with his pulse. He tried to concentrate on SAM, and whimpered at the pain.

 _SCOTT, DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE?_ SAM’s voice was no louder than usual, but Scott nearly sobbed at the intrusion.

“ _Gil…_ ” he whispered.

**

Gil was in engineering, fiddling at the console with a new drive core program he'd written. There was just something in his calculations that wasn't quite right, but he couldn't pinpoint it.

“Sod it,” he muttered, tossing a rag onto the work bench in frustration. He shut down the program simulation, and was heading for his and Scott's room for a drink when his omnitool pinged.

_GIL, THE PATHFINDER IS UNWELL, AND REQUESTING YOUR PRESENCE IN YOUR QUARTERS ON THE HYPERION._

“Sick? Scott never gets sick!” Gil protested, and ducked into the medbay to find Lexi. “SAM, what's wrong with Scott, precisely?” he asked the AI, getting Lexi’s attention with the question.

 _HE IS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE CEPHALGIA, BROUGHT ON BY SEVERE MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS IN THE REGION OF THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAE, AS WELL AS LUMBAR. ALSO, HE IS SUFFERING SIGNIFICANT ASTHENOPIA_ , SAM explained in the usual digital monotone. Gil rolled his eyes, but Lexi held up a hand.

“How long has he had the tension headache and back pain, SAM?” the doctor asked, collecting the tools of her trade.

_HE FIRST COMPLAINED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AGO, HOWEVER HIS VITALS HAVE SHOWN INCREASED STRESS FOR A FURTHER THREE HOURS._

“And the eye strain?” Lexi continued.

_SEVERAL MONTHS. I BELIEVE HIS ATTEMPT TO IGNORE THE ASTHENOPIA HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ADDITIONAL AILMENTS._

Lexi chuckled, shaking her head.

“You think ignoring his need for vision correction for months on end might have caused his poor posture and resulted in back pain and a headache? Well, that's certainly possible…” she retorted drily.

“Dammit, Scott!” Gil muttered, running a hand through his hair. “You go ahead Doc, I'm just getting something from our room.”

“I'll meet you there. We need to get him to rest.” Lexi turned and strode out of the medbay and headed to the upper deck, while Gil ran to his and Scott's room.

**

Gil ended up catching up to Lexi before the tram left for the habitation deck, and they quickly made their way to the Pathfinder's quarters. Gil keyed them into the room, and immediately dimmed the lights, wondering why Scott hadn't had SAM do so.

“Scott?” he called softly, keeping his voice low. A pained whimper came from around the corner at the desk, and Gil darted forward, running to his lover. Gil dropped to his knees beside Scott’s chair, gently placing his hand on his knee. “Baby, I'm here. I've brought the Doc. Your head?”

Scott gave an aborted attempt at a nod, his face in his hands, and froze, giving an affirmative groan instead. Doctor P'Terro approached and scanned Scott with her omnitool, her brows drawing in at the flares of heat at his neck and lower back, and the increased cortisol levels brought on by pain.

“Hold still, Scott, I'll dose you with a muscle relaxant and pain killer. Then you are on 48 hours leave.” Scott tensed to argue, but crumpled under the fresh wave of pain. “Doctor's orders. The Kett are dealt with, for the most part. Kadara is quiet thanks to that rogue your sister is involved with, and the Nexus will still stand if you don't meet Tann.” She deftly administered the medication via an injection to his neck, and he slumped as the drugs took hold.

“P'rfect ‘scuse… if ‘min pain I can tell Tann t'fuck off,” he slurred.

Gil chuckled drily, and Lexi rolled her eyes.

“Nevermind that, Scott. You can just outlive him. You've already nailed his foot to the floor by appointing a krogan as ambassador, ignore the rest,” Gil advised teasingly. He met Lexi’s eyes, and at her gesture, nodded. He got to his feet, and stooped to pull Scott carefully upright. He started to put Scott's arm around his shoulders, then thought better of it, and simply picked up his lover, carrying him cradled in his arms to the bed. He knelt on the bed, carefully laying Scott down. He moved to sit up, but Scott wound his arms about Gil's neck, and clung to him.

Lexi chuckled, shaking her head.

“He'll be out in a few minutes, but let me know if you need me. The dose I administered should be sufficient for 24 hours, but with SAM affecting his metabolism and everything else, it may wear off sooner. He should sleep at least 6 hours though, and he'll be coherent when he wakes. SAM? Did you record me saying he's on 48 hours medical leave?”

_YES, DOCTOR P'TERRO. I WILL REMIND SCOTT WHEN HE AWAKENS, AND HAVE ADVISED SUPERINTENDENT KESH._

Gil huffed a quiet laugh.

“SAM, that kind of deviousness is what scares people about AI.”

_I ASSURE YOU, MY ONLY INTENTION IS ENSURING SCOTT'S HEALTH._

Gil laughed outright this time, absently stroking a hand over Scott’s hair.

“I know that, SAM, I'm just ribbing you. Doc, would a compress help? I've got one.”

“Absolutely, just have SAM monitor the temperature, since Scott will be out for a while.” The man in question started to snore, and Lexi chuckled. “I'll pass the word onto the crew, Tempest is on shore leave for 48 hours. We've got three other Pathfinders, they can pick up the slack.” She turned to go, then snapped her fingers as she remembered something. “Let him know I expect to see him about vision correction when he wakes up. This wouldn't have gotten so severe if he hadn't been hunched over to see the screens.”

“Sure thing, Doc! And thanks.”

**

Gil puttered around their quarters, the warm colours Scott had used to redecorate soothing his concern. Scott had been working far too hard lately, but his strengths were in the field, not tied to a desk. He'd gone through a few of the books Alec Ryder had collected, sitting propped up on the bed next to Scott’s slumbering form, but needed to stretch his legs. He'd just returned the latest book to the shelf, when Scott groaned softly, and stirred. The warm compress Gil had carefully placed on Scott's neck slipped to the mattress as he sat up with a groan, rubbing at his eyes.

“How long was I out?” he asked softly, rubbing at his neck.

Gil pushed him firmly back down on the bed, and waved a bottle of massage oil at him.

“Tell you what, love. You be good and let me work on those trouble spots, and I'll fill you in.”

Scott gave a cheeky grin as he stretched.

“Are you sure this isn't some lame excuse to get me out of my clothes?”

“I am offended, Scott! This happens to be a brilliant excuse to get you out of your clothes!”

Scott snorted, but cautiously sat up to pull off his shirt. He moved hesitantly at first, anticipating pain, but was relieved to find he could move relatively freely. His range of motion hitched as he pulled the shirt over his shoulders and off, but the pain was absent. He carefully lay back down on his stomach, and sighed as Gil repositioned the compress on his neck. Scott groaned as he felt the heat seeping into him, and nearly started to doze again when Gil climbed onto the bed and straddled his hips.

“Y'sure this is a m’ssage?” Scott mumbled, casting a sleepy grin over his shoulder.

“Can't pull the wool over your eyes, can I?” Gil teased lightly. “I simply can't resist you when you're three-quarters asleep and incoherent, not to mention in pain. It's just so sexy.”

Scott buried his face in his pillow, though not before Gil caught his muttered, “Smartass…”

“You love me for it,” Gil retorted, warming the oil in his hands then slowly massaging the tense muscles in Scott's lower back. He worked over the knots methodically, and Scott gave a pained groan of relief as they loosened. “Was that the lowest, or do we need to get your trousers off to get the small of your back?”

“Not trying anything, he says. Riiiight.” Nevertheless, Scott fumbled for his fly, got his pants undone, and started to shove them down before he ran out of steam. Gil chuckled, and clambered off to pull Scott's pants off to spare them the oil. He did a double take and groaned. Scott was wearing a jock strap again.

“Looks like _you_ were the one with nefarious plans, Scott. Or are you behind on your laundry again?” Gil swept one hand over Scott's ass, giving his cheek a gentle squeeze before returning to the massage. He worked his way higher on Scott's back, finding lesser points of tension along his spine that had gone unnoticed in the overwhelming pain of his headache. He smoothed them away, one by one, his callused hands scratching Scott's skin ever so lightly. Eventually, he set the compress aside and worked on Scott's neck, the muscles like steel under his fingers.

“Bloody hell, Scott, what did you do to yourself?!”

Scott breathed in slowly. Even with the painkillers, the pressure of the massage was awakening a throb up the side of his skull as Gil worked.

“I was reading emails. And you still haven't said how long I was out.”

“Didn't I? Are you sure?” Gil teased, chuckling as Scott growled ineffectually at him. Gil placed a palm against Scott’s spine, between his shoulder blades, a reminder to stay still. “Five hours, give or take.”

“What?! I need to get back to work!” Scott panicked, trying to get up. Gil rolled his eyes.

“SAM, care to share Doctor P'Terro's instructions?”

 _OF COURSE, GIL_ , the AI replied immediately. _YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE 48 HOURS MEDICAL LEAVE. YOU MUST SEE DOCTOR P’TERRO ABOUT VISION CORRECTION, AND THE TEMPEST HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT THEY ARE ON SHORE LEAVE FOR 2 DAYS._ Scott made to interrupt, but SAM kept up the report. _SUPERINTENDENT KESH HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE DOCTOR'S ORDERS AS WELL._

“Now that's just a cheap trick,” Scott muttered, settling back down, knowing he was beaten. “But… vision correction? Is she talking about surgery?” His voice had gone quiet, uncertain, and Gil leaned over to look at his face.

“She didn't say, but that's usually the method.” Scott gave a small shiver underneath him. “Are you getting cold, we can get SAM to boost the heat… SAM?”

“No, no. I'm not cold. Eye surgery creeps me the fuck out. I saw a vid of how it was done back in the early 21st Century, and it stuck with me. I know that's not the process anymore, hasn't been for centuries. But eye surgery terrifies me.”

“Relax, baby, you're tensing up again. We'll see what Lexi has to say.” Gil ran his palms down the sides of Scott's neck, easing the tight muscles. He leaned down and kissed the side of Scott's neck lightly, earning him a happy purr from his lover. So he did it again. He kept his hands working over Scott's shoulders, but every now and again, he would drop a gentle kiss against his skin. Scott shivered and gave a slow smile each time he did it, but his eyes drooped as Gil continued the massage, and soon enough he was asleep again.

Gil slowly gentled the massage, eventually stilling his hands. He stroked a tender hand over Scott's hair, and leaned down to kiss his temple.

“Sleep, love,” Gil whispered fondly.

**

Scott woke three hours later, his nose twitching and his stomach grumbling. He slowly stretched, warm under the blanket that had been thrown over him, and luxuriated in the absence of pain. His outstretched arms encountered a warm body, and he cuddled closer to Gil, who sat reading a book.

“Feel better, love?” Gil asked softly, stroking a hand through Scott's sleep-rumpled hair.

“Mmmm….” Scott hummed an affirmative, tucking his chin over Gil's hip and smiling up at him. Gil grinned, but kept reading, his eyes scanning the pages at a ridiculous pace. He scratched his nails lightly down the nape of Scott’s neck, and Scott shut his eyes, sighing in bliss.

Then his stomach growled. Audibly.

Gil snorted a laugh, and patted Scott on the shoulder.

“C’mon, I've got some food warmed, I was going to wake you when I finished that chapter anyway.”

Scott grinned, knowing his lover.

“Right. How many chapters have you been saying that?” he teased, chuckling at Gil's wink. “Thought so.”

Scott slid from under the blanket, and stood. He stretched again, his fingers twined as he pressed his palms towards the ceiling. Suddenly Gil's arms were around him, the warmth of his body lined up against Scott's back, and he was forcibly reminded that he was standing there in his underwear, and not much of that. Gil laid a single, delicate kiss just behind his ear, and Scott shivered.

“That's cheating…” he breathed, turning to wrap his arms around his lover’s neck.

“Says the man in that underwear, with that sexy ass.”

Scott pressed closer, smirking.

“Am I distracting you, Gil?”

“All the time. Food first, love.”

“Spoilsport,” Scott pouted, leaning in for a kiss. Gil smiled and met him halfway, keeping the kiss light and gentle.

“Scott, I was summoned by your AI not 10 hours ago, to find you immobilized with pain, crying from a headache. You'll have to forgive me if I want to make sure you're alright. Let's get those biotics fed.”

Scott grumbled under his breath about being babied, but stepped back with a smile. He turned and fetched his pants from the floor, giving his ass just enough of a shake to let Gil know that Scott knew he was watching. Gil chuckled as he wandered to the small kitchen, dishing out a moderate portion for himself, and an enormous one for Scott. Biotics burned through calories at incredible rates, so it took a lot of food to keep them going.

Scott set a glass in front of Gil, who eyed the amber liquid for a moment, then crooked an eyebrow at him.

“Trying to get me sauced, love?” Gil teased, his pewter grey eyes twinkling.

“Nah, just showing my appreciation for my wonderful boyfriend who is taking such good care of me.” Scott leaned over and gave him a peck on his cheek, nuzzling at the scruff there. Gil turned his head and captured his lips softly, then touched their foreheads together, his eyes closed.

“You scared me, Scott. You've been through so much, had that damned Archon meddling in your head, that injection he gave you that figured out SAM, you've died twice, you forced your brain into overdrive to link with the Remnant when SAM was stolen… A headache like that scared the shit out of me. Good thing Lexi was there to translate SAM's medical gibberish.”

Scott dropped to his knees next to Gil's chair, and took both of Gil's hands in his own.

“I'm sorry I worried you. I am okay though, and I'll talk to Lexi about what we need to do about my eyesight.” His bright blue eyes were full of remorse over the scare he'd given his lover, and he looked up at Gil with a rueful expression. “I'll try not to get so stressed it affects my health. I kept pushing today, and ended up losing the entire day anyway.”

“Forgiven, but don't do that again, alright?” Gil shook his head, Scott moved back to his chair, and they started their meal in companionable silence.

Halfway through the meal, Scott started yawning, and shook his head.

“What the hell did Lexi dose me with? I feel like I could sleep another cycle!”

“I didn't ask, but she left another dose for tomorrow if you need it. And since I'm off duty, any time you need a massage, I'm available,” Gil offered with an arched eyebrow and a glint in his pewter grey eyes.

Scott smirked at him.

“Really? I'll have to let you know if I'm suffering from any further…” he paused, eyeing his lover from head to toe and back, “…stiffness to be dealt with.”

Gil rolled his eyes in bemused disgust at the pun.

“That was truly awful, Scott.”

“Can't blame me, I'm doped up and falling asleep here. Sentiment stands though,” he said around another yawn. “SAM? You've been awfully quiet since I woke up, what's going on?”

 _WHEN I LAST SPOKE TO YOU, IT CAUSED YOU CONSIDERABLE DISTRESS. I WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THIS WOULD NOT BE THE CASE_ , the AI explained.

“Thanks for that, but I'm okay at the moment. Can you please fire off a message to Lexi, asking if I could stop by after lunch tomorrow to have her check my vision?”

_OF COURSE. WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THIS EVENING?_

“Nope, thanks SAM.”

 _VERY WELL. GOOD NIGHT, SCOTT_.

Scott finished his meal, yawning every few bites, while Gil cleaned up the dishes. A few moments later Gil was gently nudging Scott, who'd nodded off with his chin propped on one hand.

“Let's get you to bed, baby. Carrying you once a day is about my limit,” Gil teased, pulling Scott upright and steering him towards their bed.

“Wait, I'm going that way first,” Scott tugged his hand free and headed for the bathroom. Gil took the time to warm the compress again, and dimmed the lights further, leaving only a soft glow around their bed. He stripped out of his clothing, leaving only his boxer briefs.

A few minutes later, Scott stumbled out of the bathroom, and made a beeline for their bed. He fell face-first onto his pillow, his feet still dangling off the side. Gil rolled his eyes at his lover’s antics. Scott drove himself incredibly hard, desperate to live up to his dead father's expectations, but when he crashed, he crashed hard.

“Come on, then. Let's get those trousers back off, you hate sleeping in them.” He received a muffled groan of complaint in return. “I was going to offer you another massage before bed, but I suppose you're not interested…”

Scott turned to glare at him balefully, but the effect was somewhat hampered with his face smooshed into the pillow, only one blue eye visible, and that one drooping sleepily. Scott muttered uncomplimentary things under his breath that Gil pretended not to hear, and he helped his lover out of his pants. He leaned down and kissed the dimples at the small of Scott’s back, to either side of his spine, then slicked his palms and slowly began to massage his lover's back. Gil moved down the bed, and massaged Scott's thighs and calves, working on the tense muscles, and chuckling as Scott gasped and twitched. He turned and grasped one of Scott's arms, and shook the limb lightly until Scott let it dangle loosely in his hands. He ran his thumbs firmly across his lover's palm, smirking as Scott hissed, then worked up the forearm. Scott tensed when he found a knot of muscle, and Gil shushed him, reminding him to relax. He repeated the process on the other hand and arm, before coming back to straddle his hips, and work on his shoulders and neck again.

Scott gave a soft moan of pleasure, though he didn't know whether it was pulled from him by the touch of Gil's bare thighs against his hips, or the strong, callused hands easing away any residual tension. Either way, the sound had a predictable effect on Gil, the quietly erotic moan sliding down his spine, a slow warmth building low in his gut. He paused, taking a deep breath, and continued the massage.

Within minutes, Scott was asleep, and Gil chuckled softly. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Scott's temple, and turned off the lights. He spread the blanket over him tenderly, and cuddled up with his back against Scott’s side. Scott murmured his name, rolling toward him, and wrapped his arms around Gil, pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. Gil smiled, and whispered a quiet good night.

**

Scott woke slowly, his mind muzzy from sleep and dreams, and he reached for his lover without opening his eyes. His searching hand found warmth still in the sheets, but Gil wasn't there. Scott pried his eyes open carefully, hesitant in the light permeating the room. He rolled his neck from side to side, and groaned as several vertebrae popped and shifted. Gil peered around the corner from the kitchen, looking concerned.

“You alright, love? That sounded like it hurt…”

Scott stretched his arms over his head, carefully twisting back and forth.

“You heard that?”

“You groaned loud enough that SAM probably heard from the next room, nevermind the soundproofing in here,” Gil teased. He came around the corner, and passed Scott a steaming mug of coffee, sweet and light. His own was black and unsweetened, and he settled onto the bed next to Scott. Scott snuggled against his shoulder, relaxing for the first morning in what felt like forever. He snorted softly, and Gil nudged him questioningly.

“Just thinking,” he explained with a smile. “Barring the morning after that party,” his smile widened to a grin as Gil's eyes darkened at the memory, “this may be the first lazy morning I've had in over 630 years.”

Gil chuckled darkly, and teased, “Don't get used to it, love.”

“I know, I know. Responsibilities. Ugh. How did I get roped into this again?”

“Other than saving the entire colony, fighting off a genocidal race, communicating with alien tech to revive numerous planets, oh, and a gorgeous boyfriend to make sure your gear works, you were also in the right place at the worst moment.” Gil squeezed his shoulder, knowing Scott still felt he couldn't measure up to his dead father.

Scott sighed, savouring his coffee as he leaned into Gil’s warmth. Gil set his own mug on the floor, and shifted to sit behind Scott, cradling him against his chest. After a minute or two, he nudged Scott to sit forward slightly, and slowly rubbed his neck and shoulders, checking for tension that could have returned through the night. Scott winced as Gil found a sore spot, and forced himself to relax as his boyfriend's callused fingers slowly worked on knotted muscle. As the knot began to release, Scott relaxed further, melting under Gil's strong hands. He quickly downed his coffee and set his empty mug aside.

“You've been working too hard, baby,” Gil scolded softly. “We've got three more Pathfinders. You've always had your crew. You don't have to carry all this alone. We're here. _I’m_ here. I'll always be here.”

Scott turned in his grasp, meeting his gaze with a searching look. He smiled suddenly, radiant, and dove forward to take Gil down on the mattress, kissing him passionately. Gil let out a gasp, but wrapped his arms around Scott broad shoulders, pulling him closer. His hands roved down Scott's back, and he moaned as he filled his hands with Scott's perfect ass, the jock strap no impediment. Gil thrust up against Scott as they both began to harden, moaning against his lover's lips. Gil nibbled on Scott's lower lip, then broke the kiss to nuzzle his way along Scott's jaw. He nipped at his throat, pulling a moan and an involuntary thrust of the hips from Scott as he chuckled darkly. Gil flipped them suddenly, and kissed his way down Scott's chest, teasing at his nipples with lips and tongue, grinning as Scott bucked underneath him.

“Gil…” Scott breathed, trembling under his lover's hands, touch, _oh fuck, his mouth!_ He fisted his hands in Gil's short red hair, pulling him closer. He felt Gil smile against his chest, and scraped his nails down the nape of his neck, pulling a groan from him as their eyes met.

Gil slid lower, tracing his tongue over Scott's abs, pausing here and there to lay a gentle kiss, or a less than gentle bite on Scott’s heated skin. He dropped teasing kisses over his stomach and nuzzled lightly at the trail of dark hair below his navel. Scott whined deep in his throat, twisting under Gil, trying to lead him further down his body. This, of course, meant that Gil crawled back up, kissing and sucking marks onto Scott's chest.

“Was there something you wanted, baby?” Gil murmured, a teasing light in his eyes. He stroked a hand down Scott's jaw, and ran his thumb over his full lips. Scott flicked the tip of his tongue out, tasting his lover, and he groaned softly.

“Yes, there is,” he replied, grabbing Gil's wrist. He pulled it away from his face, and surged up to capture Gil's lips with his own, thrusting his tongue into Gil's mouth as he opened on a moan. Scott wrapped his free arm around Gil's back, pulling his hair lightly, then scratching down his spine. Gil moaned again, taking control of the kiss, and Scott melted underneath him, hooking an ankle behind Gil's knee. He slid their hands down his side, and pressed Gil's palm to his throbbing cock, still trapped behind his jock strap. He moved his hand from Gil's wrist to the back of his hand, and closed their fingers around his cock as he thrust against him.

“ _Fuck_ , Scott, you're so hard already,” Gil murmured against his lips, before nipping his way along his jaw to suck at his throat, just below his ear. Scott cried out, his hips bucking upward, and Gil smirked as he felt Scott's cock throb under his hand, drops of pre-cum already spotting the fabric. Gil shoved his own underwear down about his thighs and rocked his shaft against Scott's. The two men moaned together, and Gil pulled away to strip completely. He wormed his way down Scott's body, and nuzzled at the bulge tenting his underwear. He stroked his hand gently over Scott's confined sac, then slid deft fingers back to tease and toy with the sensitive skin behind, all the while kissing his way up Scott’s shaft, mouthing at the tip.

“Red, please!” Scott moaned, faint biotic sparks dancing over his skin. Gil nibbled at the cleft where hip and thigh met, and Scott twisted underneath him.

“Please what, baby?” Gil teased, sucking hard on Scott's inner thigh, grinning as his lover cried out, then laved his tongue over the mark he left. “What did you want?”

Scott groaned, his fingers clenching in the sheets, his hips thrusting up unconsciously to meet Gil’s scorching mouth. Gil shifted slightly and nipped at Scott's hip, sucking a bruise into the flesh.

“Red! Quit teasing, I need…” Scott complained, losing his train of thought with a moan when Gil slipped his tongue under the waist of his jockstrap and found the head of his cock. Gil slid his hands up Scott's thighs, over his hips, and back, his fingers trailing delicately over Scott's skin between the straps. He tangled his fingers in them and achingly slowly drew them down Scott's legs. He kissed his way down Scott's thighs and calves, then stroked his palms back upward, his thumbs grazing the sensitive skin between his thighs. Gil watched as Scott’s cock twitched, drawing his gaze. He ran his tongue the length of Scott's shaft, twirling his tongue over the head and lapping at the slit. Scott's hips bucked up to meet the contact, blue sparks flitting over their skin as Scott shouted his name.

“Fuck, Gil!”

Gil pulled off his cock with a pop, and gave him a wicked little grin.

“You read my mind,” he murmured, and took Scott's cock down his throat, swallowing around the head. Blue energy flashed out from Scott in a wave, nailing Gil at the base of his spine. He groaned, thrusting restlessly against the mattress. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked, humming in approval when Scott grabbed his hair and pulled, and Gil drew back, sliding his lips up his lover’s cock and off with an obscene sound. He looked up Scott’s body and met his heated, hungry gaze. His blue eyes were dark with lust, his hair disheveled, his lips red and swollen from biting back his cries. He looked positively wrecked, and Gil surged up to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. They broke the kiss with a groan as their cocks brushed together. Gil rolled away for a moments, fumbling in the bedside table for lube.

“Aha! Found it!” he announced triumphantly, then dropped his head back with a gasp as Scott fit himself against Gil's back, kissing and nibbling at his neck. “Mmm, baby, please...” he whimpered, rolling his hips back to feel Scott's length pressed against his ass, sliding along his cleft. Scott chuckled against the nape of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine, and plucked the lube from his hand. He popped the cap one-handed, and slicked his fingers quickly.

“Fast or slow, Red?” Scott asked softly, teasing two fingertips over Gil's tightly furled pucker. Gil rocked his hips back into his touch, moaning softly, then he pulled away. He turned to face his lover, and pushed him back down onto their bed.

“Wouldn't want you to strain anything and bring that headache back. So tell you what, you use those talented fingers on me, and then I ride you until you scream. How does that sound?” he asked, leaning down to murmur the last in Scott’s ear, chuckling as he felt him shiver.

“Fuck, yes!” Scott groaned, and pulled Gil further up the bed until he was straddling his chest. He leaned in to swipe his tongue up Gil's cock, moaning at the taste of pre-cum leaking from the tip. Gil gasped out his name, his hips shifting back and forth, seeking friction.

“Baby, wait a second,” Gil murmured. He slid down Scott's body enough to drop down for a slow kiss, then clambered off to one side. He spun around and straddled Scott again, and dove down, sucking Scott off with a groan of pleasure, his callused fingers stroking over his balls and sliding down to tease over Scott's entrance. Scott bucked upward with a cry, then latched onto Gil's inner thigh, sucking a mark on the sensitive skin. His lover popped off with a moan, driving his hips back as he rasped Scott's name.

Scott licked his way up Gil's thigh, pulling his hips down to reach his cock more easily, sweeping his tongue from the tip all the way down to the root, then lapping over his sac. He smirked at his lover's pleading calls of his name, but didn't draw it out. He wanted Gil just as desperately. He teased his slicked fingers over Gil's entrance again, this time pressing in as he mouthed gently at his sac. Gil shuddered at the slight burn as Scott's fingers breached his rim, then slid down over Scott's cock again. He opened his throat, taking Scott to the base, and swallowed, holding there as Scott swore. His biotics flared, and he thrust his fingers into Gil's ass. The redhead gave a whimper as Scott aimed his biotics at Gil's prostate, his body clenching around his lover's fingers. Gil drew back for breath before sinking down again, his hips rocking back against Scott's hand as he worked him open.

When two fingers were sliding in and out easily, Gil drew back from Scott's cock, and pulled away, turning once again to face his lover. Scott frowned slightly, grabbing Gil's wrist as he reached for the lube.

“Just two? You’re going to feel that later,” he cautioned, unwilling to cause Gil pain.

Gil smirked down at him, his pupils blown wide with lust, swallowing the pewter grey of his eyes. “I’m counting on it, baby.” He pulled his hand free, and reached down to slick Scott's shaft thoroughly, twisting his palm over the head to watch his lover's blue eyes darken. He lined the head of Scott's cock up with his entrance, and slowly sank down, hissing at the delicious burn. Scott's biotics flared again, and Gil's body reacted, tightening for a split-second before loosening further.

“ _Gil_ , baby…” Scott breathed, his hands coming to rest on Gil's waist, holding him still for a moment to adjust. Gil had other ideas. He canted his hips, driving Scott deeper into his body, pulling a gasp from him. Scott's fingers spasmed on him, and Gil rocked over him again, driving Scott further, until finally his ass was resting on Scott's thighs. Gil leaned down and gave him a slow, gentle kiss, stroking his fingers down Scott’s jaw.

“Let me,” Gil whispered against his lips, flicking his tongue out to tease at the seam of Scott's mouth, slanting their mouths together when Scott opened for him on a moan. Gil took possession of the kiss, and rolled his hips as he did, slowly at first, then faster as their passion built. The slow glide of their bodies sped up bit by bit, until Gil broke the kiss to breathe. He straightened, planting his feet under himself in a crouch, and set his palms on Scott's chest for balance.

“Remember, we don't want to bring that headache back, so you should probably stay still,” Gil reminded his lover, who stared at him wide-eyed at the instructions.

“Red, you have got to be shitting me!” he gasped, hips already shifting as he fought the urge to thrust into his lover. “How'm'I supposed to stay still, _oh fuck, baby!_ with you riding me like this?”

“I could stop…” Gil offered, slowing his rocking and starting to lift himself off Scott's aching cock.

“Don't you fucking dare!” Scott growled, pulling Gil back down with a firm grip on his hips, his hands sparking blue with his biotics. Gil groaned as the charge flowed over him, his cock throbbing and dripping in response.

Gil rocked forward, deliberately clenching around Scott, then lifted himself only to drive back down, once, twice, _again_ , until he was riding Scott in earnest. Their moans echoed through the room, the slap of skin against heated skin driving them higher, hands clutching at sweat-slicked bodies. Gil shifted slightly and let out a low moan as Scott's cock slid against his prostate with each movement. Gil's head went back, his eyes closing as he drove them both, Scott's cock throbbing inside him, his panting telling Gil he was close, too.

“Red, _fuck_ , yes baby, please! Keep going, I'm so- _hnng_ \- so close… close your eyes baby, _oh shit!_ ” Scott grabbed Gil's thighs and started thrusting into his lover, his hips snapping up with a heavy smack as Gil ground down. Scott stared up at his lover, his eyes glowing brilliantly blue as his biotics surged, and he threw his head back on a cry. “ _GIL!_ ” he shouted his lover's name, and a blinding flash of biotic energy pulsed out from his body as he came. His thighs shuddered as he spilled deep into Gil, his vision whiting out as he biotics surged again, and Gil stiffened above him with a shout, his cock spurting. Scott grinned, wrapped a faintly glowing hand around Gil's still throbbing shaft, milking him through the last tremors of his orgasm.

“FUCK!” The shout was torn out of Gil as his body clenched around Scott again, and he curled over his lover, stilling Scott's hand. He collapsed against him, both panting for breath.

When his breathing and heart rate had slowed, Gil extricated himself from Scott and rolled onto his back, reveling in the ache in his body. He laced their fingers together and brought Scott's hand to his lips.

“I thought I told you to hold still,” he teased.

“Are you really complaining?” Scott demanded, feigning insult.

“Nah. Next time I'll just have to tie you up.”

Scott snorted, and pulled Gil to him for a lazy kiss, then pressed their foreheads together. “Love you, Red. Hey SAM, have I got that appointment with Dr. Lexi?”

_YES, SCOTT, THIS AFTERNOON. YOU HAVE THREE HOURS UNTIL THEN._

“Perfect. Enough time for breakfast, a shower, and another nap,” he eyed Gil, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Scott, we have another appointment, since you've clearly forgotten. We're seeing Jill and-"

“Shit!” Scott interrupted, smacking himself on the forehead, and wincing. He shot his lover an apologetic look. “Sorry, Red. I completely forgot. Okay. So no nap. Alright, breakfast and a shower.”

Scott stretched his arms over his head, grunting as his neck popped. He sat up slowly and shrugged his shoulders, frowning as a few muscles twinged and protested.

“Have we got any bacon, baby?” he asked his lover as he stood, hiding his smirk as he turned away.

“You cannot call it bacon! There are no pigs in Heleus, it's not bacon. It's salted arse-end of challyrion, and you do not get to disrespect the memory of bacon by using its name like that!” Gil glared at him, clearly offended.

Scott grinned, pulling Gil upright and into his arms.

“Have we got any salted arse-end of challyrion then?” he teased, leaning in for a gentle kiss.

“Nah, I ate it two days ago. Stuff's delicious.”

Scott hugged him close and laughed, pressing their foreheads together.

“So, wanna share that shower?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott's medical concerns are cropping up again, the guys visit Jill and a very special second person, then head off to see Lexi about Scott's vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by jeannedarcprice, more of our favourite boys!

Gil made a quick lunch for them while Scott sat and nursed a second cup of coffee. Scott rubbed at his temple absently as he sipped, and Gil watched him carefully. When his fingers shifted to rub at his neck and he winced, Gil spoke up.

“How bad is the headache, love?”

Scott's head snapped up, a guilty expression turning to a pained wince, then morphing to a rueful smile.

“Should have known you'd notice,” he said fondly. “It's… bearable, for now. I'll mention it to Lexi when I see her later, but I don’t want to take that second dose she left if it'll knock me out for five hours again.”

Gil set an omelette in front of Scott, and was rewarded with a dazzling smile, his blue eyes lighting up.

“Have I told you today that I love you?” he asked, digging into his food.

“Now that you mention it, yes, you have,” Gil smirked, moving gingerly back to the small kitchen to make his own omelette.

“Mmmmm… This is delicious. Remind me to tell you I love you again later, would you?” Scott teased. “And speaking of aches and pains… How're you feeling? You're limping.”

Gil gave him a heated look over his shoulder, then turned back to flip his omelette. A minute later he was sliding it onto a plate, and joined Scott at the table. Gil leaned over to nuzzle his ear, murmuring in a low husky voice that never failed to arouse Scott.

“I am sore. I'm going to be feeling this all day, and thinking of you the whole time. I almost don't want a shower before we go out, because I can smell you on my skin, and I can feel your load seeping from me. It's making a right mess of my drawers; it’s coating my balls.” He nibbled on Scott's earlobe, enjoying the catch of his breath as Gil's filthy mouth riled him up. “And all I can think of is when can I get you alone for a few hours without any appointments or company or whatnot. So you can fuck me proper.”

Scott surged to his feet, pulling Gil with him and pinning him to the table. Scott captured his lips in a hungry kiss, all teeth and tongues, and ground his aching cock against Gil's thigh. Gil hopped onto the table and hooked his ankles behind Scott's knees, dragging him closer as he raked his nails down his back. Scott broke the kiss with a curse as his hips drove forward, and he dropped his forehead against Gil's, both of them panting for breath.

“Food, then shower. We don’t have time to play,” Scott said resignedly.

“Spoilsport,” Gil accused, hooking his fingers in the waist of Scott's boxers, pulling him close for a slow kiss, a light brushing of lips.

Scott stepped back, giving his lover a grin, and sat before his meal again. He stuffed a large bite of omelette into his mouth, and winked. Swallowing his food with another mouthful of coffee, he looked up at Gil, who was still perched on the table.

Gil was positively pouting, and Scott couldn't stop the low chuckle that escaped his lips, though he was rubbing at his neck again, and Gil noticed the pained crease in his forehead was returning. A moment later, Scott shook his head, his expression smoothing.

“You went to such effort for me, least I can do is eat while it's hot.” Scott's words and tone were perfectly innocent. The gleam in his eyes as he raked his gaze down Gil's body, the subtle flare of biotics around him, were anything but.

Gil groaned and blatantly adjusted himself in his boxers, smirking as Scott's pupils widened further. He deliberately squeezed his shaft, and let out a husky moan, watching his lover hungrily as Scott bit at his lower lip.

“You're killing me here, Scott,” he murmured. “In the interest of you actually eating your food, I’m going to take that shower now.” Gil hopped off the table as he spoke, and headed over to the bathroom, stripping as he went. He grinned to himself as his boxers hit the floor and Scott groaned behind him.

“Tease!” Scott called after him as he stepped into the bathroom. Gil chuckled, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he closed the door.

He showered quickly and was shaving when Scott stumbled in, his features taut. His pain was climbing again, with one hand shading his eyes even in the relatively low accent lighting of their bathroom. Gil paused in his grooming, and turned to Scott in some concern.

“Scott?” He spoke softly, wary of jarring Scott if his headache had returned full force. He frowned when Scott winced. Gil quickly went to his side, helped him undress, and coaxed him into the shower. He pushed him down onto the bench, and set the shower to a warm, soothing rainfall. He crouched before Scott, heedless of the water soaking the towel about his trim waist, and looked up at his lover, who sat with his head buried in his hands.

“I'll be right back, love, I'm getting your medication.” Scott made a noise that Gil took for acknowledgement, and Gil moved out to the living area, leaving a trail of water across the floor as he hunted for his omnitool. Muttering, he glanced up at one of the sensors.

“SAM? Can you tell me if the medication Lexi left has a sedative like yesterday's dose?” he asked the AI.

“ _I WOULD REQUIRE A SCAN VIA YOUR OMNITOOL TO CONFIRM_ ,” came the response, and Gil scowled.

“I don't know where I left my omnitool. It might be aboard the Tempest.”

“ _I HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRACK IT, AND IT IS WITHIN THE ROOM, NEARER THE DOOR._ ” SAM advised.

“Why are you tracking my omnitool?” Gil asked absently, rounding the corner. He spotted it on the bookshelf where he'd clearly left it when choosing a book the day before. He scooped it up and scanned the medication Dr. P'Terro had left.

“ _SCOTT ORDERED ALL CREW MEMBERS’ OMNITOOLS TRACKED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES IN THE FIELD, AND HAS NOT YET RESCINDED THE ORDER. THERE IS NO SEDATIVE IN THIS DOSE._ ”

“Good, I can give it to Scott then. Thanks, SAM,” Gil tossed the last over his shoulder absently, ducking back into the bathroom.

Scott was where he'd left him, hunched over in pain in the shower, water pouring over him. Gil joined him quickly, and knelt at his feet, touching his wrist to get his attention.

“Scott? C'mon, baby, look at me,” he pleaded, though seeing Scott's blue eyes dulled with pain was like a stab to the heart. “Before I dose you again, it's the same pain, your neck and head?” He frowned in sympathy when Scott whimpered an affirmative. “Alright, let's get this into you. And I had SAM confirm, the first dose had a sedative so you'd actually rest. This one doesn’t, so you won't be on your ass for hours.”

Gil carefully administered the medication as Lexi had instructed, and took one of Scott's hands to draw his attention.

“Scott, pay attention, we’re going to breathe together, nice and slow. Come on, breathe in, easy does it… and out. Don't hold it, it'll make your head throb. Just breathe, love. The medication should only take a minute or two to kick in. That's it, love.” Gil stroked Scott's knuckles gently, coaxing him along to keep taking in slow even breaths. He watched as the tension leached from Scott's shoulders, the lines of pain fading from his face, when his breathing no longer hitched from the agony he'd been in.

Gil counted out a few more slow breaths, then squeezed Scott's hand. Scott let his other hand drop away from his eyes, and gave Gil a sweet, genuine smile.

“What would I do without you?” Scott asked softly, pulling Gil's hand to his lips to drop a gentle kiss on his knuckles, his blue eyes shining.

“Keep your clothes on in poker? Destroy the Nomad through lack of upkeep? Crash the Tempest because no one understands how to coax the most out of her system?” Gil's pewter eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked up at Scott, and his teasing smile turned downright wicked. “Sprain your wrist?”

Scott turned the shower head on him and dropped the temperature with a single thought to SAM, his laughter ringing through the bathroom as Gil howled and dove out of the shower.

“Ass!” Scott accused, his voice full of laughter and affection. He adjusted the temperature and started washing his hair somewhat hesitantly, but there were no sensitive spots to be found, and he grinned as he rinsed his hair.

Suddenly, Gil’s strong arms wrapped around him and pressed him to the shower wall, then Gil was laying a kiss on his nose, his skin still pebbled and chilled from the blast of frigid water.

“You love my ass,” Gil smirked, pulling a chuckle from Scott as their lips met. Gil shivered, and shifted so he was further under the spray of water, sighing contentedly against Scott's lips as he deepened the kiss. Scott smiled against Gil as he pulled him closer, their kisses slow and languid. Eventually Scott pulled back and rested his forehead against Gil's.

“I love you, Red,” he murmured softly. “I'm glad you're here. This would have been a bitch to manage without you taking care of me.”

Gil cupped his cheek in a rare, tender caress. He kissed Scott slowly, gently, then wrapped his arms tightly around his lover, pressing his face to Scott's neck.

“Always. And I love you too, Scott.”

Scott grinned at his lover, and ran a fingertip over his chin.

“You might want to finish shaving, Jill would never let you live it down if you went like this.” Gil lifted a hand to his chin, and sure enough, he'd forgotten to finish shaving in his worry over Scott.

“And what would I do without you, Scott?” Gil teased, arching an eyebrow.

“Forget to shave properly, and be at the mercy of Jill's most whimsical sense of humour?” Scott suggested.

Gil shuddered, and extricated himself from Scott’s arms, grabbing a new towel to dry off.

“Mercy is never the word to use when it comes to Jill's sense of humour,” he remarked, wrapping the towel about his hips and stepping back to the mirror to finish shaving.

“I know,” Scott chuckled behind him. “That's why we love her.”

**

Scott and Gil sauntered into the small café a few minutes early, Gil bantering with the asari at the counter about the lack of premium coffee, her deep drawl pointing out that maybe he should talk to a pathfinder about finding a planet where coffee would cooperate and grow. Scott listened to their casual arguing with half an ear before ordering his favourite fruit juice, something they'd adapted on Meridian from Aya. He paid for their drinks, already knowing Gil’s order, once he stopped debating about the lack of coffee with the owner. Scott's personal supply of coffee was a gift from a shadowy bastard on Kadara who was involved with Scott's sister. Nepotism has its uses.

He scanned the small crowd, and spotted Jill's familiar profile near one of the large windows overlooking the growing city. He wove between the tables and chairs and other customers, a few staring at him wide-eyed, recognizing him from the news or vids. The regulars just nodded in greeting; they knew him as Scott here, not as Pathfinder. Reaching Jill's table, he pulled out a chair and sat. Jill was rolling her eyes at Gil's antics at the counter, and Scott chuckled at her reaction.

“Same old Gil, huh?” he commented, watching as his lover sauntering over with his usual drink in hand. Jill glanced back at Gil and her gaze sharpened. Scott really looked at Gil, and hid a smile as he realized Gil's usual confident stride was a little rough, and he spoke quickly to distract Jill.

“So how've you been? We'll be sticking around for the next four months at least, so anything you need…” Scott smiled, gesturing at the growing swell of Jill's stomach. She grinned at him, her palm rubbing slow circles over her abdomen.

“You two are going to be the best dads, I swear,” she replied. “So being uncles to this one in a few months will be a piece of cake!”

Gil reached the table just as a second woman approached. Her heavily distended belly was leading, her steps swaying slightly side to side as she pressed a fist to her lower back.

“Lily, how are you feeling?” Gil asked, pulling out a chair for her. “Do you need anything? Would you like some water, can I get you something to eat?” Scott chuckled, and pulled his fretting lover down to sit next to him.

“You'd think no one had ever given birth before…”Jill teased, but her smile was affectionate for her best friend.

“Lillith, I know we've said it before, but coming to Andromeda to be a surrogate is just incredible. And we're forever grateful that you chose us, out of everyone waiting.”

Lillith gave a low laugh, her teeth flashing against her rich copper skin. She shook her head in amusement; they'd been over this before, but there was something so endearing about The Pathfinder earnestly thanking her, as though their very lives weren't all thanks to the crew of the Tempest. That was the sweetest part. He never seemed to realise the debt that was owed to him.

“Please, Scott, Jill is a friend and colleague,” Lillith said, in her soft Caribbean accent. “When the gene compatibility tests came back negative, she came to me for you. Besides, there are many surrogates, I was happy to chose the two of you. You're a fantastically strong couple, you positively dote on each other and those you care about, and honestly, have you boys looked in a mirror? Any baby with your genes,” she pointed at each of them in turn, “will be clever, determined, easy on the eyes…”

Scott blushed, as usual, and Gil just grinned as he leaned over to nudge Scott in the ribs.

“Also, possibly near-sighted, eh Scott?” Gil teased, but his hand was gentle and soothing at the nape of Scott's neck. Scott leaned into his touch, nearly humming with pleasure.

“We'll see what Lexi says,” he hedged. “Speaking of which, SAM, how long before I have to go?”

“ _IN ORDER TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT ON TIME, YOU WILL NEED TO LEAVE IN 1 HOUR._ ”

“Plenty of time to catch up, then,” Scott grinned, but he was rolling his neck, testing his range of motion.

“You okay, baby?” Gil asked softly as the two women compared notes on pregnancy.

Scott smiled at the endearment, and trailed his knuckles down Gil's jaw. Gil captured his fingers and kissed them softly, giving a lopsided smile as Scott’s cheeks went pink. They shared a look for several moments, Scott's eyes bright with such intense emotion that Gil found himself captivated, unable to look away. He could feel his cheeks heating, though hopefully his tawny complexion would hide the worst of it, because if his best friend saw him blushing like a schoolboy, she would never let him forget it. He heard the distinctive sound of an omnitool beeping, and his face flamed. Caught. Scott simply grinned at him, quirking an eyebrow in amusement as he leaned closer and kissed Gil softly.

“Alright, you two, enough of the sappiness,” Jill ordered, replaying the moment she'd just recorded, Lillith craning her neck to see it as well. Gil could hear the recording; the background noise of the café, and the chuckles of their friends. Even a murmured crack about how adorable they were. He was never living this down.

“That was a good one, it's definitely going in the wedding vid,” Jill continued, laughing as Gil choked, sputtering on his drink. Scott rolled his eyes and passed Gil a few napkins for his watering eyes. He'd been on the receiving end of such teasing from his twin for months, and Sara knew all of his buttons. Scott careful timed the wink he sent Jill, making sure Gil wasn't looking.

“C'mon Jill, I told you to wait until after the baby was born to mention a wedding, he'll be less likely to run away!” Scott scolded, then yelped as his lover retaliated to the teasing by pinching his ass. A neat trick, considering he was sitting on it.

“How was the latest checkup?” Gil asked, pointedly turning to Lillith.

“Absolutely fine,” she replied, her dark eyes amused, but clearly willing to follow the topic change. “Your little one could make an appearance any time now, or it could be a month from now. Just a matter of waiting til’ the baby wants to arrive.”

“When do you move out of that tiny spot on the Hyperion into a bigger place?” Jill asked.

“Looks like about six months from now. Give or take. Honestly, until the baby is older, we don't need more space. And there are families that do need the room now that they're out of cryo. We don't mind waiting,” Scott explained, lacing his fingers with Gil's, who still looked vaguely disgruntled over the teasing. “But we will need the room, and privacy, eventually.”

He nudged Gil's elbow with his own, and sent him a heated glance, earning him a smile as Gil relaxed, leaning back in his chair to sling an arm around Scott's shoulders.

“Besides, we definitely need room for a poker table,” Gil added, smirking. “As long as Scott doesn't try to cheat again.”

“C’mon, that was one time, and I fessed up immediately!” Scott protested, much to the amusement of Jill and Lillith.

Gil grinned at getting Scott riled, and pulled him close for a tender kiss. He kept the kiss relatively chaste, for them, close-mouthed and light, but his nails trailed up the nape of Scott's neck as he pulled him close, and he felt more than heard the near-silent moan from his lover. Gil broke the kiss slowly, and leaned his forehead against Scott's.

“It's alright Scott. I trust you,” he murmured, and watched as Scott's eyes lit up, his lips curving in a private smile. This time Scott leaned in for the kiss, and his hand on Gil's knee flared lightly with his biotics. The energy went straight to Gil's groin, and he shivered, barely muffling a groan.

“Shit, here I was thinking we had another clip for the wedding, but that looks like it'd suit the bachelor party better,” Jill's dry interjection froze them in their seats, and they broke apart with matching rueful grins. Gil made as though to say something, but instead shook his head with a smile. Scott quirked an eyebrow, but let it slide as Jill was still speaking.

“Seriously, how long is the honeymoon stage going to last with you two?” she asked, shaking her head in amusement. Gil shrugged and grinned at her, and she flicked a glance between the two men. “Ugh, sickeningly sweet. Be right back, this one has a foot on my bladder again.”

She rose gracefully, one hand on the swell of her belly in an unconscious, protective gesture. Gil stared after her for a moment, then turned to Scott with a silly grin.

“It's still hard to believe, we're going to be dads. And then uncles! This is going to be amazing.”

Lillith chuckled, her dark brown eyes fond. These two deserved their happiness, and she was happy to help them get there.

“You still don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl?” she asked in her lilting accent, stroking her hand lightly over her stomach as the baby kicked, making her wince in discomfort.

“Lily, are you alright?” Gil asked, concerned.

“I'm fine. Do you remember what I told you about Braxton Hicks contractions?” she asked, the shadow of pain gone from her features.

“You called them warm-up contractions, or practice,” Scott replied, and she nodded, her dark curls bouncing.

“It's just my body's way of getting ready for the birth, but it doesn't mean anything is happening today, or even this week. So you can relax, Gil,” she grinned.

“You know he won't,” Scott said wryly, grinning at his lover. “As for finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl, nope! I know that seems really silly and out-dated, but we want it to be a surprise. And really, it doesn't matter to us, we just want a family,” Scott reminded her with a smile, taking Gil's hand in his again, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles. Gil lifted their hands and kissed Scott's thumb absently, simply a move they'd done so often it was automatic. Lillith chuckled softly to herself, thinking Jill was right, the honeymoon stage would never really end for these two.

**

“ _SCOTT, IT IS TIME TO LEAVE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH DR. P'TERRO_ ,” SAM advised them some time later. Scott and Gil said goodbye to the women, Lillith getting a careful hug from each of them, Jill squeezing Gil tightly enough his ribs creaked. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head before messing her hair, ducking out of reach as she growled and tried to smack him. Scott gave her a hug as well, and she grinned up at him.

“Still want to keep him? He can be a pain in the neck, I know,” she teased, winking at Scott, who snorted.

“I absolutely do,” he smiled down at her, but his eyes cut sideways to his lover, who was fussing over Lillith again. Scott’s smile turned tender and soft, and Jill touched his elbow lightly to draw his attention back.

“Good. It's obvious you two are crazy about each other, and I've known Gil long enough to say he has never been in a relationship like yours. I'm glad you've got each other, Scott.”

“Me too, Jill. Me too.”

**

Scott and Gil wandered into the Hyperion's medical facility, waving to Dr. Harry Carlyle as they looked around for Lexi.

“Hey, Harry, how've you been?” Scott asked with a flirtatious smile for the silver-haired doctor. Harry grinned at the younger man, flicking a glance to Gil, who stood with his arm around Scott's waist.

“Just fine Scott. So, this is the reason you haven't been to visit a friend of your dad's in over six months? Nice to see someone finally tied you down,” Harry commented, raising an eyebrow at the couple.

“Ooh, there's an idea for later,” Gil mused, grinning at Harry, prompting a low chuckle from him, and a blush from Scott.

“What brings you here today, everything alright?” Harry asked, switching from old friend to doctor in a blink.

“I'm here to see Lexi, we don't have the equipment she needed back on the Tempest. Apparently my posture sucks and I have crappy vision.”

“Scott, you've always had shitty posture, your mother used to scold you about that when I'd visit for dinner when you were fifteen.”

“Wait, Scott told me you were a family friend of his dad's, but you knew him as a teen?” Gil demanded, a look of glee in his eyes.

“Oh, no you don't,” Scott said, hauling Gil away with a certain air of panic, retreating as Harry laughed behind them. “Bad enough you talk to my sister about me. Hey Lexi, perfect timing! So, we have some tests to run, and I'm nervous, so Gil should absolutely stay with me and not go talk to Harry without me there, ever."

Lexi eyed the two men in amusement, and directed them to a diagnostic room. Scott kept a firm grip on Gil's hand, knowing Harry would be all too willing to share embarrassing stories of his youth. Sara avoided the worst ones, because Scott had just as many of her, and was more than willing to retaliate by feeding Reyes the dirt. So the twins had a truce on the matter.

Lexi coded the door behind them, ensuring they wouldn't be interrupted, and directed Scott to one chair, and Gil to another.

“How badly did the headache return today?” Lexi asked briskly, straight to the point, as always. She proceeded to scan him with her omnitool, and waited for an answer. When Scott hesitated, Gil rolled his eyes and nudged him in the ribs with an elbow, then chimed in when Scott continued to hedge.

“Badly enough I had to strip him, coax him into a warm shower, and dose him again,” Gil offered in exasperation. Scott simply shrugged, but Lexi's sharp eyes saw that the movement was still restricted, nevermind that he wasn't currently in pain.

“Alright Scott, I sent you yoga stretches shortly after we all boarded the Tempest. Have you even attempted any of them?” she asked, shaking her head at the guilty look on her patient's face. “I'll take that as a no.”

“It was always one thing after another, I never had the time to…” he broke off, flushing slightly at the looks he was getting from his doctor and his boyfriend.

“No reason we can't do them while watching westerns, Scott,” Gil offered slyly.

“We?” Scott turned to him in surprise. “You'll take up yoga with me?”

“I hear it does wonders for one's flexibility, which is a bonus,” Gil teased, grinning, “but mainly I know you're more likely to do them if I keep you company.”

Scott leaned over and gave his lover a peck on the cheek, nuzzling briefly at the stubble at his jaw as he murmured his thanks. Lexi cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her.

“Now Scott, about your vision. I’ve reviewed your biometrics with SAM,” the asari doctor explained, “and honestly your vision isn't so poor that a visor wouldn't be sufficient to correct the issue. Also, fix your desk. Your screens are just too far back. Bring them forward, and put them at the right level. They were too high. So you were hunched forward, but also craning your neck up. It's no wonder you've made such a mess of your back and neck.”

“I don't need surgery?” Scott slumped against Gil in relief.

“Definitely not.” Lexi gave him a reassuring smile, seeming to understand that surgery was not a pleasant prospect for him. “I'll need to requisition a specific type of visor, though there are plenty of programs for updates, targeting for your sniper rifle, that sort of thing. Vera would be able to tell you more. Now about the pain. As it hasn't gotten better without the medication-" She paused, seeing Scott holding up a hand in denial.

“It came back. But not as badly as it was. I couldn't have walked to the bathroom if it had been. Probably two-thirds the pain I had yesterday. Gil has given me several massages, and that has helped.”

Lexi's assessing gaze flicked to Gil's neck, then back to Scott, a tiny smile playing about her lips.

“So I gathered,” she replied, eyes twinkling in amusement as Scott flushed. Gil grinned, then excused himself, citing his bladder suffering sympathy pangs from their visit with Jill and Lily. As he stepped out of the room and the door slid shut, Scott leaned forward.

“Think you could get me glasses?” he asked softly.

Lexi looked at him in puzzlement for a moment, then cast her gaze at the door, rolling her eyes.

“That'll take a bit more time, I'll have to figure out where we can get the lenses made. And we'll just say you're a touch nostalgic, because I do not need to know about your role-playing with our engineer.”

Gil walked back into the room to the sight of Lexi smirking at his lover, who was blushing right down past his collar. Gil sauntered over and trailed his fingers down Scott's neck, noting the warmth of the flush with amusement.

“Anything I need to know, love?” he asked, knowing Scott would clam up.

“NO! No, everything is fine. So, Lexi, any specific yoga routine that I should follow to help this?” Scott fired the words out, as though afraid she might reveal something to Gil. Gil raised an eyebrow at him as he sat down, a teasing smile about his lips.

“That face? That's why you lose at poker.”

Scott gave him a sour look, but he grinned after a moment. Lexi tapped away in her omnitool, and Scott's pinged in response.

“I've sent you some exercises and stretches, as well as an extranet site for yoga that I highly recommend. Even 15 minutes a day would be better than nothing, but aim for more. You two are going to be chasing a little one soon enough, you can’t afford to be laid out for something so preventable.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Scott agreed glibly, but despite his flippant reply, he meant it. She was absolutely right about the responsibilities of a baby, and he took that very seriously.

Lexi reached to a cabinet behind her desk, and handed Scott three more doses of his medication.

“These two are half the dose of the previous ones, this third one with the blue label is a full dose again. Use your judgement, but you cannot take a half dose and then the full one.” She eyed him a moment, then nodded sharply. “Light duties for two days more. And part of that is I do not want you staring at a screen for hours on end. Delegate to Cora, she has the training. She's your second, use her!”

Scott's features shuttered, and Gil held back a sigh, recognizing the look. His lover was thinking of his father and his expectations. He elbowed Scott in the ribs lightly.

“Your father trusted her as his second, and she handled tasks for him admirably. I know you trust her…” Gil spoke softly, careful not to reveal too much with his words, but Lexi was a psychologist, and he doubted she missed much. She gave Gil a knowing glance, then shrugged.

“Doctor's orders Scott, and you know SAM will side with me. Just cooperate and spare us all the trouble.” Lexi gave him a stern look, and he ducked his head.

“Alright, I get it. Better to take it easy now, rather than rush back and get knocked on my ass when I can't afford the time,” Scott acquiesced, grudgingly.

Gil slid his arm around Scott's shoulders, and looked to Lexi for confirmation.

“Off til 1200 Galactic Standard, then light duties two more days?”

“Absolutely. And Scott, don't argue. If you don't think Gil can stop the Tempest from flying and make it untraceable, you haven't been paying attention.”

“I would never!” Gil protested, a look of insulted professional pride on his face as Scott threw his head back with a roar of laughter. Gil winked at Lexi and gave a tiny nod, then resumed his glare as Scott looked back at him.

“Alright, let's get out of here. You should call your sister, let her know we're here, by the way.”

“Sara is so not going to let me live this down…” Scott groaned as they stood. “Getting laid out for days with a headache?”

Gil slid his hand down Scott's spine to rest at the small of his back, and leaned close to whisper softly against his ear.

“But the time off means getting laid for days, so there's always that.” Gil's voice rasped, sending a flush over Scott's cheeks just as the door opened before them. Scott stepped out to the main medical clinic, nearly running into Harry. The silver-haired doctor caught him by the shoulders as he stumbled, and grinned at the blush on his cheeks. He glanced at Gil at Scott's side, and chuckled.

“Scott, send me a message when you can, let me know how everything is going with preparing for your baby,” Harry said. “I don't want to have to keep getting all my updates from your sister.”

“C'mon, Harry, you know she loves passing along my nefarious misdeeds,” Scott teased, throwing his arm about Gil’s shoulders. Harry snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Is that why you make it so easy for her?”

“Considering Reyes, she really can't point fingers,” Gil remarked, a thread of laughter running through his voice.

“Sure, she can, she's the responsible one,” Scott replied, “whether compared to her brother or her boyfriend.”

“You know, Pathfinder,” Harry said, emphasizing the title with a smirk. “Considering all you've accomplished, no one who knows you really buys that laissez-faire façade of yours. We actually know that when it's important, we can count on you.”

“Well, shit. All that wasted effort,” Scott bantered, but his eyes were shining. Gil’s fingers flexed lightly against Scott's back, pulling him closer, his warmth a solid line of support at his side.

“C’mon, love. Let's get some more food into you, that lunch was a while ago. It was a pleasure to meet you Harry, we'll have to talk another time.” Gil grinned at the near-panic on his lover's face, and let out a low chuckle as Scott pulled him from the medical centre, manoeuvring his own body as a barrier between the two.

“No, you two need to never speak. Ever!” Scott declared, practically dragging him off towards home.

“Scott, baby, you're in such a state! You'd think he'd be telling me the details of how you lost your virginity,” Gil joked, then did a double-take when Scott's cheeks flamed. “Wait, did you …?”

“What?! No! He's like an uncle, I do NOT see him that way. But, my first time, we thought no one was home… and no one was when we started, but Harry had come by to drop off some medication for my mom, and he heard more than enough. And my biotics had manifested, so…”

Scott thought his face would catch fire from the heat of his blush, and shot his lover a mock-glare. Gil was holding his sides, stumbling with laughter. They stopped walking for a moment, waiting for Gil to catch his balance and his breath. He reached for Scott, and pulled his embarrassed lover into his arms for a gentle kiss.

“Obviously that lesson has never sunk in, because when I get you alone, you positively howl for me,” Gil growled against Scott's ear, enjoying the shiver that ran through his body. Scott drew back, his eyes darkened, and pulled Gil along.

“Food can wait, you shit,” Scott muttered, glancing around as he tapped on his omnitool. Gil peered over his shoulder, and smirked as he watched Scott pull up the Hyperion schematics he'd gotten from Reyes all those months ago, the night of the celebration. That had been a memorable evening all around. Scott grabbed Gil's hand and strode with purpose past several storefronts to a maintenance corridor, and they all but ran down the hall until they reaching the first turning. Scott nudged Gil to the left, and they were off again, laughing like children as they wove through the maze of tunnels.

“Wait, wait…” Scott huffed, out of breath from laughter. “SAM? Did I miss a turn, or are we on track?”

“ _YOU ARE ON THE CORRECT PATH, TAKE THE NEXT RIGHT TURNING_ ,” SAM advised, and a small dot appeared on Scott’s map, still displayed over his wrist.

“Thanks!” Scott took Gil's hand again, then groaned as his lover tugged him against his body, their lips meeting in a hurried, messy kiss. Gil fisted his hands in Scott's hair, pulling just so, smirking against his lips when Scott moaned for him. Scott's hands roved over Gil's back, sliding down to cup his ass, pulling him closer sharply. They broke the kiss, both panting.

“Next turning, we go right?” Gil confirmed, walking backwards, his hands tangled in Scott's shirt, flicking open the button at the collar.

Scott captured one of his hands, and nibbled on his fingertips, and chuckled when Gil's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, before sending him a heated glance, his pewter grey eyes nearly swallowed by pupil.

“We need to get home, now.” Gil told him, his voice low and thick with arousal.

“I agree,” Scott murmured. “And when we get there, I want you to fuck me.”

The words were barely past his lips when Gil pinned him to the wall, his wrists held firmly over his head by Gil's callused hands as he ravaged Scott's throat and neck. Scott moaned wantonly, then cried out Gil's name as he sucked a mark on the tender skin just behind his ear. Gil drew back slightly and blew gently over the damp skin, and Scott shivered.

“Gil, home. NOW!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 will be shorter and a smutfest. Please be aware of if that's not your thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut and fluff, and a few surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, loads of thank yous to my beta, jeannedarcprice, and to those waiting forever for this to be finished, much love, and thank you for your patience.

Scott was standing before an access panel, attempting to type the code to open the secure escape door from their apartment.  It was meant to be opened from the inside, but Reyes had provided a hack. Then Gil had modified it sufficiently that the hack was nearly useless, and he and Scott had a back door.  It simply led to their closet.  
Scott's fondness for 20th and early 21st Century pop culture meant each time he used the door, he had an urge to giggle, as closeted had never been an apt description for either of them.   
This time it wasn't his amusement that was giving him trouble, but the fact that as soon as they'd stopped moving, Gil had his pants undone, hauled down to expose his ass, and was teasing his entrance with a spit-slicked finger. Scott dropped his forehead against the wall above the panel, groaning as Gil teased him.   
“You know there are security cameras, right?” he breathed, trying to not push back against Gil's hand.   
“We'll scramble them.  Or we'll leave them, give Tann a heart attack,” Gil murmured against his ear, before pressing a kiss just behind it. Scott moaned at that touch, and his hips jerked. Gil's callused fingers left his skin, and Scott breathed a small sigh of relief, focusing on getting the door opened.   
Suddenly Gil's fingers returned, far more slick than spit could make them, and two fingertips pressed against his pucker, slowly pushing into his body past the tight ring of muscle. Scott cried out, a spike of _painpleasuremore_ leaving him gasping, and he flattened himself against the wall, forgetting his task to open the door.   
Gil slowly pushed his fingers into Scott's heat, knowing he could open him far more roughly than most thanks to SAM's ability to flood his system with endorphins and accelerating healing. He began scissoring his fingers, stretching Scott in preparation to taking him, his own cock throbbing in anticipation.   
“Fuck, Gil! Are you trying to get us caught?!” Scott moaned, his hips shifting in a slow, unconscious roll.   
“When have you ever seen someone in these tunnels?” Gil replied. “If I wanted to put on a show, the multicultural centre could always use a new display. What would they call this, do you think? Ridden Ryder?” Gil nipped at his neck, curling his fingers to brush against Scott's prostate. He knew he found it when Scott cried out again, his body clenching around Gil's fingers. A flicker of blue slid over Scott's skin, and Gil grinned.   
“Now unless you want a show for the cameras, I suggest you get that door open. You've got 30 seconds,” Gil instructed, his voice low and rasping. Scott pushed off from the wall, and opened his omnitool again, fumbling his way to the program. He moaned again as Gil's fingers brushed over his prostate again, his cock twitching and leaking.   
“Fuck, Gil, you said I had 30 seconds,” Scott whined, squirming in his lover's hands, trembling as his biotics flared a little more strongly.   
“I did say that.” Gil kissed his way down Scott's neck again, and whispered as he withdrew his fingers. “Fifteen…”   
Scott's fingers trembled as he punched in the code to unlock the door, his augmented hearing catching the muffled sound of fabric shifting, the schlick as Gil stroked his own shaft, coating it with the lube he'd apparently been carrying all day.   
“Five, four, three…” Scott panted as he sent the command on his omnitool, fighting the urge to thrust back against the blunt head just brushing his entrance. “Two… one..”   
The door slid open, and Gil grasped Scott by the neck, shoving him through the passage, slapping the inner panel that would close and lock the door again. Scott fumbled open the closet door, muffling a slightly hysterical giggle as they burst out of the closet together. His laughter broke off in a wanton moan as Gil bent him roughly over the arm of the couch, fisting one hand in his hair as he lined up with Scott's entrance.   
“Are you ready?” he rasped, and Scott could feel his hand trembling.   
“Gil, fuck me. Please, get your cock inside me, fuck me fuck me now, please!” Scott begged as he freed his own cock from the confines of his jock strap, sliding his hand down the shaft, slicking it with precome.   
Gil's hand in his hair suddenly loosened, sliding in a gentle caress down to his neck and back up into his hair, and Scott melted under his touch. As his body went pliant and he bent further over the arm of the couch, Gil pressed his cock into Scott's entrance, and just kept going. Scott let out a broken moan, and spread his legs further, planting one hand on the couch for leverage as he thrust back until Gil's hips pressed against the back of his thighs.   
“Scott…” Gil breathed, his tone reverent. “Scott, baby, you feel so good, mmmm, you're perfect.”   
He drew back, and slowly slid forward, pulling Scott's hips slightly higher. His hands stroked up and down Scott's spine, tender and soothing, even as he slowly thrust into his lover.  Scott moaned softly at his touch, and Gil hummed in approval.   
“That's it, Scott, nice and slow baby. I’m going to make you feel so good,” Gil purred, sliding all the way out, and stooping to run his tongue over Scott's entrance. Scott's arms trembled, Gil's name a low chant, a plea. “I've got you, baby.”   
Gil thrust his tongue into Scott's hole, plunging it into his body, then sucking at his rim, teasing and playing with him. Scott reached back and grasped Gil's hair, grinding against his face, moaning as he rolled his hips. Gil hummed his pleasure, and Scott gasped his name again.   
“Gil, please Red, I need you to fuck me, please baby, _pleasepleaseplease_ ! C'mon Red, put your cock in me, fuck me!” Scott's pleading drove Gil crazy, and he quickly stood and slid home into his lover again with a guttural moan.   
He snapped his hips forward, hard and fast, driving them both closer to the edge. Gil angled his hips, and there was a wash of blue light, as Scott's biotics flared.  Gil felt a heat in his gut explode, and with a cry he was coming, far sooner than he'd planned.   
“Oh shit, baby, I'm sorry. Mmmmf, damn, you feel so good. Fuck…” Gil dropped his head against Scott's back, kissing gently between his shoulder blades, then leaned forward to murmur in a husky whisper. “I can make it up to you.”   
Scott gave a throaty chuckle, and deliberately clenched around Gil's softening cock.   
“I have an idea about that, actually,” he replied, nudging Gil backwards so he slipped free.  Scott captured his lips in a passionate kiss, then stepped back, his blue eyes alight with his biotics. “Do you trust me, Red?”   
Gil's cock throbbed, jumping slightly as it tried valiantly to come to life again.   
“Absolutely, Scott.”   
Scott kissed him again, and Gil's eyes slid closed. He groaned as Scott's powers washed over him, and his eyes snapped open in shock when his feet left the ground.  Scott sauntered to their bed, his ass swaying, framed by his jock strap, Gil floating behind him at a casual gesture of his lover's hand. He put Gil down on their bed, and set him loose.  Gil's chest was heaving, his eyes dark, the pupils blown with lust.   
“Hands and knees, Gil,” Scott snapped, an air of command in his voice.  Gil muttered a quiet _fucking christ_ under his breath, then scrambled to obey.  Scott reached over and stripped Gil's pants, then leaned down and bit at one cheek. Gil moaned softly, and Scott gave a feral grin, and pulsed his biotics over their bodies. “Are you ready for this, Gil?”   
Gil groaned, and nodded quietly.   
“I trust you, Scott,” he said, shivering in anticipation.   
Scott's biotics locked about Gil's body then, and he was immobilized, unable to do more than whimper. Scott slid across the bed to grab the lube, and slicked one finger.  As he was exiting Gil's field of vision, he gave Gil a quick wink, and slid his other hand down his own ass, collecting the come already leaking from him. He moved behind him, then Gil could feel himself being spread on Scott's fingers, slicked with his own come.   
“Oh, baby, shit, feels so good,” Gil groaned, trying to buck back against Scott's fingers, but held by his stasis field. The tingle along his skin from the biotics was traveling down his spine, and he could feel his shaft twitching already. Scott pulled his fingers free, and ran his tongue down the cleft of Gil's ass, thrusting it into his entrance.  His fingers slid down to tease over his balls, and stroked up his shaft, a pleased sound escaping Scott's lips. He quickly slicked his shaft, and pressed the head against Gil’s tight pucker.   
“Oh, fuck Red… you're so hot, perfect, I love you, baby,” Scott babbled, making minute adjustments to the angle, then thrusting forward and nailing Gil's prostate.     
Gil cried out, each thrust of Scott's hips rocking into him with almost bruising force, the usual sway of their bodies halted by the biotic field holding him in place. Gil was bordering on the edge of oversensitive, having already come, but the absolute inability to move was apparently a previously unknown kink.  Scott was murmuring praise against his neck, their bodies slick with sweat, and Gil could feel his cock swelling again. He was desperate to move, desperate to drive back against Scott's thrusts, his lover's words and lips driving him wild.   
“Listen to you whimper for me, Red. Feels good, right? You like giving me all the control? Just giving in and taking my cock? That's it, I want to hear you, Gil, come on…”   
As Scott's voice poured over him, Gil suddenly realized he was mewling, each stroke of Scott's shaft running over his prostate, sparking a warm buzz low in his belly that was spreading quickly. He could feel the electric hum pulsing in waves through his body, the core of those rippling waves growing tighter and hotter as his arousal wound higher. Scott was panting in his ear, his thrusts beginning to stutter as he approached his own release.   
“You gonna come on my cock, Gil?” Scott gasped as he shifted to grasp Gil's hips. “Come on, you can do it, you're almost there, I can feel it, Red.” Gil was clenching around Scott like a vise, and both men were catapulted over the edge, with Scott filling Gil's ass with his come as Gil painted the blanket on the bed. Scott slowed his thrusts, rocking them both through their orgasms, then stilled, dropping his head to rest between his lover's shoulder blades. He kissed his way down Gil's spine gently, and carefully slipped free, leaning back on his heels to inspect Gil's ass. He smirked as his come spilled out and ran down Gil's thigh, and used his fingers to scoop it up and shove it back into Gil's body.   
Gil whined at the contact, his rim clenching on Scott's fingers.   
“Scott, love, I need you to stop that for now, alright? I'm not going to be able to walk for hours as it is…” Gil teased. “Are you going to let me go?”   
“Hmmm, I'll think about it. Want a cloth, or a plug?” Scott asked in a low, caressing tone.   
Gil groaned, his eyes sliding shut as a wave of desire swept through him, despite having had two orgasms in very quick succession.   
“Fuck, Scott, I swear you're trying to kill me,” he accused, his voice gone breathy. “Plug. I don't think we're going anywhere, and I want it all inside me as long as possible.”   
Scott ran a gentle hand down his neck and along his spine, then made his way to the bedside table. He retrieved a bright blue plug, and waved it at Gil, who groaned a quiet affirmative. Scott crawled back down the bed, and teased the plug around Gil's slightly puffy rim, letting his own seed coat it as it dripped from Gil. He slowly pushed it into his lover's ready body, pulling a moan from him as the widest part stretched him then released as it slid into place.   
Scott bent and licked his way around the edge of the plug, lapping up the mess of come and flavoured lube, then bit suddenly on one of Gil's cheeks. He petted over the red mark even as Gil cried out, and Scott loosened his focus. The sudden loss of his biotics surprised Gil, who face-planted on their bed.   
“A little warning, next time?” Gil mumbled against the blanket, pushing himself upright and flipping over, out of the wet spot he'd unceremoniously landed in.   
“Next time?” Scott asked, his blue eyes wide and innocent. “I thought that was a one time thing. After all, I wasn’t sure you enjoyed it…”  Finally a smirk escaped him, and he fell over Gil, catching himself at the last moment, as Gil sputtered incoherently.   
Scott leaned in to lay a tender kiss against Gil's lips, when suddenly he froze, his eyes wide.   
“SAM, when? Why the fuck weren't we called?! For fucks sake, bypass the goddamn communication block for something like this!” Scott had rolled off Gil and was hauling clothes on at speed.   
_MY APOLOGIES, SCOTT_ .  SAM's synthetic voice rang through their suite. _I WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT TAKING THAT INITIATIVE._   
Gil groaned, hauling on a new pair of boxers and pants. He had no idea what was going on, but it was clearly urgent.   
“SAM, did you really just make a pun?” Gil demanded, then waved the question away. “Never mind. Scott, what's the story?”   
Scott ducked his head out of the bathroom, and tossed Gil a washcloth.   
“Lose the plug, love. Much as I love knowing it's there, we're not meeting our baby with sex toys anywhere near us.”   
Gil missed the catch in surprise, and scooped the cloth off the bed. Quickly, but carefully, he removed the plug, and gave himself a quick, but thorough wipe down. He hauled the stained blanket off the bed, wrapped the cloth and plug inside them, and ran to the washroom to chuck them into the laundry bin.   
“What the hell, Scott? We saw Lily a few hours ago, and she's not due for another three weeks!”   
“Guess those Braxton Hicks weren't.  Her contractions ramped up half an hour ago, but it's anyone's guess how long it'll take from there. Meanwhile, we gotta go. Apparently there are a few messages on our omnitools.”   
“Bloody hell. Lexi's gonna kill us though, right?” Gil muttered as they re-entered the bedroom, continuing to get dressed.   
“More like maim. After all, we have a baby, or will soon.  She wouldn't want the poor thing to be an orphan. But we gotta go, now!”   
They ran out of their suite together, Scott calling his sister even as Gil keyed the lock command.   
“Hi! I need a favour, it's urgent!” Scott announced as soon as his twin answered.   
“Scott, I'm a little busy…” she started, her cheeks flushed.   
“You know what, you and Reyes can take over our shower, but Lillian went into labour half an hour ago, and we don't have clothes ready, or somewhere for the baby to sleep, or anything. We have a crib, but it needs to be assembled, and --"   
Sara interrupted quickly.   
“This actually counts as an emergency, as opposed to sitting in for a meeting with Tann in the Cultural Centre so you two could have sex in his office.”   
Scott grinned, and heard a low chuckle from Sara's end of the call.  A disheveled Reyes appeared at Sara's shoulder, and dropped a kiss onto her cheek.   
“Somehow that does not surprise me, Scott, that you would do such a thing.”   
“C’mon, Reyes, you dealt with his bullshit before the uprising. I know Salarians don't have sex drives, they're almost completely asexual, but if anyone needed to take the stick outta their ass and have something else inserted, it'd be Tann!”   
“Scott!” Sara, ever the big sister, tried a stern look, but she'd had her share of encounters with the officious director, and couldn't really argue.   
“You've got the door code, right?” Gil peeked over Scott’s shoulder as they waited for the tram.   
Sara nodded, but Reyes was giving him a sly wink in the background. _Right, wouldn't matter if they didn't._

“Crib is packed flat, it's behind the couch. Baby clothes are in bags and boxes in the shelves Dad had his weapons collection in. Not like we're keeping those unlocked anymore. Thanks, Sara, owe you one.”

“What about me?” Reyes asked, his voice full of amusement.

“Not on your life, Reyes, but I'll buy you a drink next time we're on Kadara,” Scott smirked as he cut the call.

The tram arrived and Gil punched in the med bay. The brief journey seemed to last forever, but less than a minute later they'd arrived. They quickly jogged into the med bay and found Dr. Carlisle helping Lily walk, one hand under her elbow, the other currently being crushed in Lily's unyielding grip. The two men came to a breathless halt as Lexi emerged from her office, pinning them both with a stare that told them there would be words, later. Worse yet, Jill emerged from the restrooms, and walked briskly to Gil's side before balling her fist and punching him in the arm.

“Damnit, Jill, that hurt!” Gil complained, rubbing at his arm.

“No point asking where you two have been. This late, you could've showered.”

Lily groaned then, and Gil sidestepped his best friend to approach the labouring woman.

“Hey Doc, want to trade off? I can walk with Lily if you like.”

“Thanks, Gil. What can I say, I'm personally invested in the baby, too, so it was no problem to step in when we realized there was a communication error in getting through to you two.”

Gil glanced at the older man, and flushed at the smirk on the doctor's face. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Lily, who had paused while a contraction rippled across her distended belly. He watched in fascination as the teardrop shape of her stomach tightened to a ball, and then after a minute loosened again.

“Lily, what can I do?” he asked softly.

“I just need to keep moving for now, Gil. I'm only at four centimetres, it could take time. The contractions are uncomfortable, not really painful just yet.”

Just then another contraction seized the surrogate, and she bent to place her hands on her knees, breathing through the clench of her stomach. Gil rubbed her back, and glanced around for Scott, who was talking with Lexi. As though he felt Gil's eyes on him, he glanced over, and he directed Lexi's attention to them. Lexi patted Scott's shoulder reassuringly, but Gil saw her smile, and felt like she was a little too relaxed about this. Of course, she'd been studying human physiology since First Contact, and had delivered her share of babies. Apparently asari were quite sought after as midwives and doctors by humans, as their ability to soothe a person through a meld was gentler than a chemical selection. Of course that meant absolute trust between doctor and patient, but it helped.

Lexi approached, and spoke to Lily calmly.

“You're doing fine, Lillith, but then you've done this before,more than once. Any surprises this time? Anything different enough to mention?”

Lily grinned, her teeth flashing white against her dark skin, and shrugged.

“Other than the weeks early, just seems like this one is in a rush. I don't think we'll be waitin’ until tomorrow,” she told them in her soft Caribbean accent.

“I would say you're right, but you've a few hours to go. Give me a moment, I'm going to check on the birthing suite we set up.”

She strode away, and Gil kept walking with Lily, with Scott on her other side. She was absently rubbing her hand over her stomach, and paused next to a cabinet, bending over to rest her forearms on it as she groaned heavily, wincing. Suddenly there was splash, and she muttered under her breath.

“That almost never happens outside the vids. Always looks so dramatic on screen, but every other babe I've carried, when the water broke it was just a trickle. I blame the two of you. The Pathfinder’s babe would have to make an entrance.”

“I'm not the Pathfinder, why blame me?” Gil protested. “I don’t have a dramatic bone in my body!”

“Wow, Gil, you even said that with a straight face, I'm impressed.” Jill had walked up next to them as they spoke, a smirk firmly in place on her face.

“Thanks for the input. Be a love and let Lexi know Lily's water broke, rather enthusiastically,” he said, ignoring the laughter in Scott's eyes.

Jill glanced at the floor, and her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Water doesn't usually break like that!” she commented, before turning on her heel to go find Lexi.

“Lillith, do you want to stay upright, or should you sit now?” Scott asked, glancing about for a place for her. She smiled at him, and shook her head.

“The pressure is less now, I'll stand until Lexi says otherwise. She'll want to make sure there's no sudden distress to the babe, and see if I've dilated more.”

Lexi came bustling over, and led them to a birthing suite. It was spotlessly clean, somehow both clinical and warm. The colours were soothing, and there was a bench piled high with cushions and blankets for comfort after the messier parts of delivery were done. There were also bottles with formula on a counter.

Lexi pointed at the bed, and spoke to Lily casually.

“Time to hop up so I can check how we're doing.”

Lily grimaced, leaning more heavily on Gil and Scott.

“No hopping, I'm afraid. But with these two fine gentlemen to help, we'll manage.”

Scott wrapped her arm about his shoulders and smiled down at her.

“If I may?” he winked, and she chuckled.

“Alright, charmer. Gil, you'd better be watchin’ this one,” she teased, even as her eyes widened in surprise as the Pathfinder scooped her into his arms and gently set her on the bed.

“I'm well aware of his finer qualities, Lily. Oops, take my hand, love, go ahead and squeeze, I can take it.” He soothed a gentle hand over her hair as she groaned, his eyes flicking to meet Scott's. “That's it. That sounded like a good one.”

“You'd be right, I thought I was going to be sick with that one,” she commented with a grimace.

Lexi stepped closer, and checked her dilation with a quick scan.

“That's because you're in transition, and that means checking how dilated you are is already irrelevant. This baby is coming, and fast.”

“Lexi, I need to push soon,” Lily told her urgently, and Lexi nodded.

“Ride out as long as you can without consciously pushing, let your body do what it needs to do.”

“Um, Doc, sorry, what is transition? I must have missed that one when reading up.” Scott sounded embarrassed, but Gil winked at him, and mouthed a quiet _“same”_ , and Scott flashed him a grin.

“Transition is the baby moving down the birth canal,” Lexi explained quickly. “Alright. Lillith, squatting or all fours? We need to move you now.”

“All fours. Always the most comfortable for me,” she commented, sitting up with a wince. “I'll need a hand from these two though. Come, help me roll ovah.”

Gil noticed her accent was thicker, and moved quickly to help. Just as she settled herself on her hands and knees, rocking slightly back and forth, she told them another contraction was coming. The visceral groan, low and guttural, that she let out was like a punch to the gut, and Lexi nudged the men aside.

“She's pushing, that answers that question. The baby will be here really quickly,” she told them.

“Head,” Scott commented, his eyes wide. Gil glanced down, and swore.

“Lexi, head!” he exclaimed, staring at the wrinkled little ball.

“I do have functioning eyes. You may have even noticed them before. You're doing perfectly, Lillith, don't let these two panicking tell you otherwise. No pushing, just wait for the next… contraction,” she commented as Lily groaned again, and with that, their baby was born. “Well done! Alright boys, help her back onto her back, grab a couple pillows, let's get her comfortable. We'll just wait until the baby is done with that cord, it'll just be a few minutes.”

“She's so tiny!” Gil whispered, oblivious to the tears in his eyes as he beamed at Scott. Scott was smiling back just as widely, and after settling Lily with her pillows, pulled Gil into a passionate kiss. Lexi put the baby carefully onto Lily's abdomen, her belly soft and looking more like she was six months pregnant. Scott severed the cord at Lexi's instructions, and their baby was brought to Lily's arms for a bit.

“I'll leave you four be for a few minutes,” Lexi told them with a smile. “I know you wanted to find out on your own if you have a boy or a girl.”

“Thanks, Lex. Lily, I… we can't thank you enough for this. This is such an incredible gift you've given us. Thank you.” Gil bent and laid a kiss on her forehead, and Scott did the same. “So, love, would you do the honours?”

Scott smiled at him, and carefully took the baby from Lily, who was smiling widely.

“Well?” Gil asked impatiently.

“Come here, Red. Say hello to Meri,” Scott told him softly, his heart in his eyes.

“A girl? We have a baby girl?” Gil felt tears welling in his eyes again, but he didn't even try to wipe them away, he simply scooped up a warmed blanket, and carefully took their daughter into his arms. “Hello Meri. Nice to meet you, darling girl.”

He looked about for his best friend then, and finding her was sitting on the bench along the wall, he walked over to help her to her feet.

“Meet Meri, Jill,” he told her softly, a huge smile on his face.

Jill stepped close and gave him a kiss on his cheek, then looked down to admire the baby.

“Well done, Gil. Now I'll keep Lillith company, you and Scott go snuggle with your girl. She needs skin. The next room, through that door,” she told him, pointing, “has the adjoining suite, with a large bed so you can all fit, and it's already warm and ready for you. Lexi will be along to check on Meri soon.”

They stepped through to the next room, which was warm enough that Scott immediately stripped his shirt, and took Meri so Gil could do the same. She started to fuss slightly, and Gil swore.

“The formula is in the other suite. Be right back, baby girl,” he told his daughter, and ran out. Ignoring the whistling from Jill, he quickly scooped up a small bottle of formula, and headed back. “Alright love, this may be it. Just a little though, that tummy is tiny. _She's_ tiny. Scott, is she alright? She seems really small, even for three weeks early.”

“Let's find out. Take her,” Scott instructed, then quickly scanned her with his omnitool. “SAM?”

_CONGRATULATIONS, SCOTT, GIL. MERI IS 2651 GRAMS, AND 53.34 CENTIMETRES. THIS IS APPROXIMATELY THE FOURTH PERCENTILE WEIGHT FOR NEWBORN FEMALES OF THE HUMAN RACE._

“What does that even mean?” Scott muttered.

“She's tiny, but not dropped off the bottom of the charts. Really Scott, you don't know what a percentile is? Daddy really is silly, isn't he baby girl?” Gil cooed to their daughter, flushing at the expression on Scott's face.

“We hadn't really decided. So, she'll call me Daddy, and you Papa, then?”

“Papa feels right for me,” Gil gave him a slow smile. “Oh, do me a favour? No funny business, but I've got something in my pocket for you. Just my hands are full.”

Gil angled his hip toward Scott, who raised his eyebrows and smirked, but retrieved the small box, the smile fading to a look of shock as he took in the tiny black velvet box.

“Open it, please? I had something all planned out for a few months from now, but I don't want to wait,” Gil watched as Scott opened the box with trembling hands, and saw the blue platinum ring inside. “Scott, love.”

Gil waited until his lover looked up at him again, his blue eyes swimming in tears, a tiny smile hovering about his lips.

“Will you marry me, Scott Ryder?”

Scott leaned over and kissed him tenderly, then kissed their daughter on the top of her tiny head as well.

“Looks like your Papa is trying to make an honest man out of me, Meri. And here I was hoping to scandalize all of Heleus. We'll have to find another way, I suppose. Yes, Gil. Absolutely, yes.”

Gil leaned closer and kissed him softly, and Scott moved to sit behind him, his legs bracketing them both as Gil held their daughter as she blinked slowly and dropped off to sleep..

“I should call Sara. If I don't update her, she might kill me, and then where would we be?” Scott tapped onto his omnitool, and quickly called his twin.

“Hi Scott! Timing and all that, so I'll be brief. Whichever of you decided to stuff a sex toy into your bedspread, tossed it into the hamper, and then asked me to come over and do laundry owes me a lot of alcohol!”

Scott snorted, and wrapped his arm around in front of Gil, pointed high enough to only show his and Gil's shoulders and faces.

“My fault, Sara, no worries, I'll buy,” Gil laughed, and they heard Reyes chuckling in the background.

“You may regret that offer, Gil. Those biotics of hers soak up a _lot_ of whiskey. My head hasn't been the same since!”

“I'll get Vetra to hook me up, she can get a discount on anything,” Gil smirked.

“So, how is Lillith doing? You didn't really give us any details, other than “she's in labour” and that was barely forty minutes ago.”

“Yeah, about that. Meet your niece, Meri,” and Scott tilted the omnitool down, showing off the infant asleep in Gil's arms, one tiny fist holding Gil's pinky in a vise-like grip.

There was a muffled squeal from behind her fingers as Sara tried not to wake the newborn, and she turned to drag Reyes into view. Scott grinned at them, then tucked the blanket closer around her back, even as she snuggled closer to Gil.

“Mi reina, is that a new piece of jewelry on your brother's hand?” they heard Reyes murmur to Sara, and this time her shriek was at full volume, and Meri woke with a squawl.

Lexi walked in and shook her head.

“Sara, I heard that in the next suite with the door shut. Really?” she scolded, doing a quick scan with her omnitool, and smiling at the new fathers.

“Come on, Lex! Not my fault, I'm hoping my brother only gets engaged once, so this is a bit exciting!”

Lexi did a double-take, and Scott flashed her the ring with a grin.

“You were certainly not wearing that when you came in here. I take it congratulations are in order,” she commented with a smile. “Here, give me Meri for a moment. I'll get her into a diaper, or Gil will pay for it.”

“Wait,” Sara demanded. “When did that happen?!”

“Two minutes?” Scott asked Gil, who grinned and shrugged. “More or less two minutes before I called you.”

“Scott, this is amazing. I wish Mom were here for this,” Sara said quietly, and Scott sighed, his chest rising and falling at Gil's back.

“Me too, Sara. Me too. Anyway, we better get back to parenthood. We'll be heading home soon, I think, as long as Lexi gives us the all clear.”

“Sure thing. Oh, shit! I meant to ask. This crib can sidecar to your bed. Want us to set it up that way?”

“Yes please! Right side please!”

 

**

 

Lexi discharged them within the hour, but only after running a scan on Scott as well, checking his vitals and stress levels before clearing him. They said another thank you to Lillith, and waved goodbye to Jill, who was staying with Lily to help her postpartum. Gil eyed the two of them together and winked at Scott, who just laughed and nodded.

They got back to their place on the Hyperion, and let themselves in. Sara and Reyes were sitting on the couch, looking incredibly domestic as they folded baby clothes.

As Sara leapt to her feet, she spilled the folded clothes on her lap to the floor as she rushed over. Scott grinned down at his daughter, and turned to pull Gil to him in a tender embrace.

“Welcome home, Meri.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, labour can be that fast.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks after Meri's birth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hugs and kisses to my beta jeannedarcprice! Finally, that thing we talked about.

“Honey, we're home!” Gil laughed as he came through the door, Meri strapped comfortably to his chest. She was three weeks old, and he and Scott fell more in love with her every day. It was clear that the donor of the egg had similar features to Gil, either that or Meri was simply taking after her Papa with her red hair. They'd have to see whether her eyes would stay baby blue, or change to his grey, or something else entirely.

“Good timing, I'm on my last report!” Scott called from around the corner.

Gil smiled as he saw Scott sitting at the desk, rolling his eyes at his fiance's horrible posture.

“You're slouching again, love,” Gil teased as he carefully set Meri down in her crib. He sauntered to the kitchen and poured then each a scotch, an engagement present from Reyes. He strolled over and set one glass and Scott's elbow, and bent to kiss the top of his head. 

Scott turned to smile up at him, and Gil nearly dropped his glass. 

“When did you get those?” he asked, his voice husky as he inspected the glasses on his lover's face.

“Vetra helped get them made. I take it you like them?” Scott smiled up at him, then pulled him down for a slow kiss. 

“While she's asleep, let me show you how much!” Gil tugged Scott out of his chair, and into the bathroom.

“But what if she wakes up?” Scott protested half-heartedly, following with a smile.

“We'll leave the door open,” Gil replied, pulling him into a passionate kiss. “It's time for a break anyway. You've been working too hard.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment!


End file.
